The outspoken progressive teacher at Timberlane High School who told the world he was “glad” Charlie Kirk was assassinated is now out of a job.
On Friday, Timberlane Regional School District announced that it had “completed an investigation into a social media post allegedly made by a staff member.” That staff member was English teacher Ed Tinney.
“The post in question, which was made on a personal account outside of school, generated a significant amount of public comment and raised questions for students, family members, and staff from across the school district.
“After conversations with the employee, the District is announcing that the employee has resigned, effective September 25, 2025.”
In a diatribe he posted after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, Tinney denounced America as a violent country that had never achieved a “civil society.”
“Citizens are killed every day because they’re poor, they’re Black, they’re homeless,” Tinney wrote. “So please stop with the pontificating lectures about how we no longer live in a civil society.
“And, yeah, I’m glad he (Kirk) is dead,” Tinney concluded.
His post, first reported by the GOP-affiliated Granite Eagle website, quickly went viral as Granite Staters expressed their horror at a high school English teacher praising the murder of a husband and father of two while he engaged in political dialogue.
State Rep. Sayra DeVito (R-Danville) reacted by calling for Tinney to be fired.
“The statements made by Timberlane Regional School English teacher Ed Tinney on social media — openly celebrating the brutal murder of an American husband and father — are vile, reprehensible, and wholly inconsistent with the standards expected of an educator,” DeVito said in a statement.
In a social media post after his resignation, Tinney carefully avoided making an apology, merely saying “I regret that my words may have caused pain and confusion.”
And he added an odd complaint that his social media post “was shared publicly without my consent.” Tinney posted his offensive comments where they could be read — and shared– by members of the public.
“My career has been dedicated to encouraging critical thinking, respectful dialogue, and the responsible exchange of ideas — values I continue to hold deeply,” Tinney insisted.
According to media reports, dozens of people have been suspended or fired for celebrating Kirk’s murder or for making offensive comments about the deceased GOP activist.
A University of South Dakota professor was put on administrative leave after posting a message declaring Kirk a “hate-spreading Nazi.” Last week, a federal court intervened to order the university to fully reinstate the professor until a hearing could be held.
